Elite Music Online Blog

Interactive Music Scale Generator

adam@ethos.io (Elite Music Online) — Sun, 31 Jan 2021 18:46:16 GMT

Cool Free Interactive Music Scale Generator

This free Google Sheet is a great resource to generate scales on piano or guitar. Choose the Scale and Key from a dropdown, and the Google Sheet creates the notes highlighted both on a virtual keyboard as well as written out in a table.

Instructions

In order to use the document you will need to make a copy of the file (File > Make a copy ). It is protected in order to ensure that the document is not edited as the formulas are semi-complex. An accidental edit can render it obsolete, so there is always a functioning version with this link if ctrl+z doesn't solve the issue.

Author Note: Many people pointed out that the file does not include flats, and it was an error on my behalf. With the feedback, most of you gave (Thank you! btw), I am going to work on a Visualizing Scales 2.0. I'll do my best to ensure that the flat notes are not the only new features but if you would like to see anything else in the document please let me know!

Thanks to Reddit user d8ai for letting us reuse this file!

New 2021 Release Features and Pricing

adam@ethos.io (Elite Music Online) — Sun, 17 Jan 2021 00:23:28 GMT

We are pleased to announce new, streamlined features, services and pricing

in Elite Music Online's 2021 Release

Based on teacher feedback, we have released an update to Elite Music Online's 2021 offering. This release simplifies and streamlines our content and pricing structure while adding new features and capabilities.

Our goals are:

Make it easier for students and parents to purchase the right materials
Make it easier for teachers to "follow along" with students as they go
Add new options for music teachers to use Elite Music Online

The major changes are:

A new updated "All Access Level" pass which gives students all the materials they need per level instead of all courses (more focused) along with our new
A new "Teacher Edition" that gives teachers access to all materials with a free 30-day trial and low monthly cost.
New Certificate Practice Tests that are included in All Access Level passes and also sold separately, now available in ALL levels 1 through 10 (Advanced)
A New "Listen and Learn" Music Theory course to bring Music Theory to life.
Elimination of pre-requisites in Music Theory and Test Prep courses opening up access to all materials upon enrollment.
A new higher-end Administrative Group license with a Teacher Dashboard for larger schools and classrooms.

Here are the changes in detail:

A new "All Access Level" pass which gives students all the materials they need per level.

The old "All Access" pass was overwhelming for students because they received so many courses activated at once. The new All Access Pass now gives students material just for their Level. For example, a student purchasing a Level 7 All Access pass will have access to the following courses:

This will make it easier for students to find exactly what they need and teachers to follow along. It also helps students focus on on the material they need to learn for their level. We eventually will structure this as a continual license so that students can progress through Levels such as from 5 to 6 to 7 with only the material they need in front of them.

We also added Music History: The Great Composers and Practice Tests to all All-Access Passes moving forward.

To see the new All Access Pass click here .

Parents that are enrolled in the legacy 2020 All Access Pass may stay in the license if they wish, or switch to the new All Access pass at their choice.

A New Listen and Learn Music Theory Course

We have a great new course called Listen and Learn Music Theory This course is ALL listening material, bringing Music Theory concepts from Level 1 to Level 10 to life. A great new teaching tool! This course is $69, and is also included for free in our new All Access Pass.

A new "Teacher Edition" that gives teachers access to all materials.

The "Teacher Edition" now gives teachers availability to ALL music theory, test prep, worksheets and practice tests as well as answer keys for all of Elite Music Online's worksheets. Given the influx of teachers, we are charging a nominal fee of $9/mo for this. We are also offering all teachers a free 30-day evaluation period to try the Teacher Edition out. You can see the new Teacher Edition here .

Please do not let your students use the Teacher Edition. Note that this is a "Private Bundle" meaning teachers will have to request to be enrolled.

New Practice Tests that are included in All Access Level passes and also sold separately.

As mentioned earlier, we have launched 10 new Music Theory Practice Tests. These are designed to help students studying for Certificate exams go through the experience of an online music theory exam. These are available individually, or are also included in the new 2021 All Access Pass by level. Each one has approximately 100 questions which are randomized into 30-question practices tests that can be used unlimited times. The license is 9 months, or unlimited if the student continues with their All-Access subscription.

Check out the Practice Tests here .

Elimination of pre-requisites in Music Theory and Test Prep

We are eliminating prerequisites in Music Theory and Music Theory Test Prep courses. What this means is that students will no longer have to move through material sequentially, but can access any portion of the course they wish. In other words, Teachers can now use Elite's extensive Music Theory curriculum interactively and assign lessons, worksheets and exercises dynamically.

As a teacher, this means you can construct a custom curriculum for each student based on their needs based on Elite Music's Music Theory Curriculum .

A new higher-end Administrative Group license for larger schools and classrooms.

We also have a new option for teachers with large classes or who simply are willing to pay more to have a dashboard to track student progress. For $99/mo teachers can get their own dedicated login URL and Dashboard that shows exactly the progress of each of their students in every course. In other words, you can track your student's progress and results across any Elite Music Online course!

We recognize $99/mo is high for a lot of teachers. This cost is due to our paying more for individual licenses to our technology stack provider for the Dashboard and instances associated with this feature. However, this cost will rapidly come down if we get more teachers signed on to the program, even as few as six or seven. If we can get 30 to 40 teachers using this feature, then the cost will come down to about $10 per teacher per month. It's a very powerful feature and we hope we can get more people using it, and we will pass on the bulk purchasing benefits to our teachers should we get enough interest in this service. If you are interested in this, please contact support@elitemusic.online for more information.

We hope all of these changes in our 2021 Release will help make Elite Music Online even more useful and valuable to our teachers and students.

How to use Teacher Discounts

adam@ethos.io (Elite Music Online) — Thu, 26 Nov 2020 19:08:39 GMT

How to use Teacher Discounts

Congratulations! If you've found this page, you can find the exclusive teacher discount for Elite Music Online. Here's a step-by-step guide on using the discount. Feel free to share this page with your students.

Visit the Elite Music school page at school.elitemusic.online
Click on any course or the All Access subscription (used in this example)
Enter your details for checkout. Click on the "Have a coupon?" link in the cart

Enter code "ELITE35"

You should see your discount automatically applied. Click "Purchase" to apply it.

Music Theory: Chord Progression and Function

adam@ethos.io (Elite Music Online) — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 17:30:47 GMT

This lesson is from Music Theory Level 6

Introduction to Chord Progressions and Function

A Chord Progression is a series of diatonic chords within a certain key, that can be labeled using roman numeral and figured bass notation. Within chord progressions, each chord has a Function indicating the expected chords to precede and follow it, hence delineating its role in the progression. The primary chords have the following functions:

The tonic triad is a resting point in the progression, and can serve as a restart to it. Any chord can follow a tonic chord.

The dominant triad or seventh chord generally leads to the tonic, unless a progression is deceptive , in which case the submediant triad follows.

The subdominant triad almost always leads to the dominant triad, but can also occasionally lead to other triads, and often leads to the tonic in a plagal motion .

N otice that deceptive and plagal progressions are not cadences - even if they use the same two chords, they may or may not occur at the end of a phrase. Deceptive or plagal cadences are a type of deceptive or plagal progressions.

The below chord progression, I-IV-I-V7-I in G Major, shows some of these basic functions of these chords. When writing chord progressions, common tone spellings are usually attempted to create smooth voice leading. The chords may also be inverted, in which case figured bass notation would be employed as well, but are not here.

The progression can also be translated into minor keys by using the equivalent chords:

The progression would also work with a dominant triad instead of a dominant 7th chord. This is because chords have the same function so long as they are constructed on the same scale degree and are diatonic.

You can hear this chord progression in the audio for this lesson. Beware that many spellings of the same progression are possible.

See our entire Music Theory and Test Prep curriculum here :

Interested in learning more? Check out our Music Theory Test Prep and Lesson School.

Music Theory: Motifs

adam@ethos.io (Elite Music Online) — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 17:22:44 GMT

This lesson is from Music Theory Level 3

While we already discussed Motifs briefly before, we will delve into them here in more detail. A motif, or motive, can generally be defined as any short musical idea that special importance to a composition. This is, admittedly, a very broad definition, and intentionally so. Most other musical techniques, including repetition, sequence, and techniques not yet learned, are simply different ways to manipulate, or develop , a motif.

Take, for instance, the famous short-short-short-long motif (SSSL for short) which occurs twice consecutively at the opening to the first movement of Beethoven's 5th Symphony (the audio for this lesson).

Notice the rhythm described by its name:

* **The staves used here and in the following graphics represent the string parts. The third staff uses Alto Clef, which is played by the violas - you have not learned how to read it yet.

The motif later recurs in a variety of different ways, and is thereby developed in the movement. Take for instance the below variations on the motif, with their corresponding timestamps in the recording:

As you can see in the picture above, at 0:10, following the initial introduction of the motif, different instruments receive the motif in order to form it into a longer melody:

At 1:02, the motif is used as a rhythmic background to a different melody:

At 3:15, the rhythm of the motif is repeated as the music builds to a climax:

At 4:09, the motif is repeated over and over, with less and less distance between repetitions, until it reappears dramatically in its original form:

The recurring use of one or a small collection of motifs can serve are a great method to help a long composition hold as a single, unified whole.

See our entire Music Theory and Test Prep curriculum here :

Interested in learning more? Check out our Music Theory Test Prep and Lesson School.

Music Theory: Intervals

adam@ethos.io (Elite Music Online) — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 17:07:35 GMT

This lesson is from Music Theory Level 3

A n Interval is the distance between two notes.

Melodic intervals are two notes played one at a time. They may be ascending or descending

Harmonic intervals are two notes played at the same time.

The interval of an 8th is sometimes called an Octave .

In this chapter, you will answer all 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 7th intervals as Major and 4th, 5th intervals as Perfect .

Major intervals are notated using an uppercase M: M2 = Major second

Perfect intervals are notated using an uppercase P: P4 = Perfect fourth

See our entire Music Theory and Test Prep curriculum here :

Interested in learning more? Check out our Music Theory Test Prep and Lesson School.

Classical Period: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

adam@ethos.io (Elite Music Online) — Wed, 28 Oct 2020 21:17:09 GMT

This is an excerpt from Music Theory Level 5

Classical Period - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Mozart is an Austrian musician known for his prodigious nature. During his childhood in Salzburg, his father, Leopold Mozart, recognized his strong musical abilities and began parading Mozart as a child performer around Europe. Mozart performed in many venues, including at the palaces of emperors and other important figures. The frequency of travel however took a toll on Mozart's well being, forcing his father to stop his travels.

Following his childhood career as a performer, Mozart began to establish himself more and more as a composer. His genius was evident in his early childhood compositions, blossoming into fruition at age 18 with his first Sonata No. 1.

Until the final years of his life, Mozart was a fairly lighthearted and mischievous character, and enjoyed whimsical, earthy humor. This quality is portrayed throughout his earlier compositions, which are mostly light, gracious, or humorous, such as his Violin Sonata No. 17 K 296.

M ozart could also write with haunting beauty, as is evident with this clip from his Trio in C Major K548 Andante Cantabile.

Mozart wrote some of the world's most popular, lively and famous operas. The overture to The Marriage of Figaro is filled to the brim with life and vivacity, and is one of his best-loved pieces.

During his later life, Mozart's music became darker, but still retained the grace of his earlier writing, such as his famous Requiem in D Minor.

Mozart is renown for his adeptness at composition, specifically in the manipulation of musical forms, employment of humor, and later in life, complex contrapuntal textures (learned later). He composed over 600 works, which include 41 symphonies, 28 piano concertos, 22 operas, 23 string quartets, 36 violin sonatas, 18 piano sonatas, and a variety of smaller chamber works and standalone works like the famous requiem. These works are cataloged using K numbers instead of opus numbers, which follow chronological ordering. Below is a list of his most significant keyboard works:

The 18 piano sonatas
The 4 keyboard fantasias
3 rondos
16 sets of virtuosic variations
The 28 piano concertos

All of Mozart's piano works were composed for a more primitive version of the modern piano called the fortepiano . It is important to recognize that this instrument was incapable of heavier textures and very resonant sounds, leading to the often emptier writing in Mozart's works. The fortepiano, however, accommodates light filigree very well, explaining the many fast runs Mozart uses.

The circumstances of his death are mostly unknown, and became subject to many myths, but he was buried in a pauper's grave - a tremendously sad ending for one of the greatest musical talents in history.

Despite this, Mozart's legacy and influence is enormous in the music world.

The Musical Excerpt for this lesson is from the first movement of Mozart's 21st piano concerto, K. 467.

See our entire Music Theory and Test Prep curriculum here :

Interested in learning more? Check out our Music Theory Test Prep and Lesson School.

New Elite Music Online Pricing

adam@ethos.io (Elite Music Online) — Thu, 03 Sep 2020 21:42:32 GMT

Announcing Elite Music Online All-Access Subscription

Starting today, we have new pricing for Music Theory and Test Prep, including a brand new all-access subscription service. The goal of this new pricing is to make it simpler and add more value for students and their teachers.

The options are:

Per Course: $69

This option is a one-time, no commitment option. It provides a student with access to an entire level, such as Music Theory Level 5. It includes all of the lessons, quizzes, worksheets, practice tests and final exam associated with that level. Every course purchased will last for 9 months.

All Access: $25/mo.

This option gives students access to all Music Theory Levels 1 through 10, and all Test Prep 1-10. It also gives the student access to bonus worksheets, answer keys and is the best option for "TeacherLink" a new feature that sends teachers progress updates as students finish lessons. It will also host all student progress, performances, evaluations and materials as long as they remain a subscriber.

We implemented this tier because we heard many students wanted to be able to review lower level material while "studying ahead" for higher-level material. In addition, many teachers were interested in both Music Theory and Test Prep.

Note: We will continue the MTAC discount program of 40% both courses and All Access at least through the end of September 2020. Use Access Code MTAC40 at checkout.

Piano Teacher Sentiment Survey

adam@ethos.io (Elite Music Online) — Mon, 17 Aug 2020 01:41:34 GMT

We asked 100 music teachers about their current sentiment and received some interesting results.

The summary: music teachers are learning zoom and other online technologies, and are hungry for music theory and performance evaluation tools.

Additionally they about split in terms of seeing Covid-19 as an opportunity vs. a threat to their music studios.

Here are summary results.

We also asked what would help their business most. Rather than publish all of the results, we created a "wordcloud" where the size of the word correlates with its frequency of usage.

The survey is still open - feel free to chime in!

https://feedback.elitemusic.online/zs/dQCNru

What's On Your Mind?

adam@ethos.io (Elite Music Online) — Sun, 16 Aug 2020 08:10:21 GMT

We surveyed music teachers in California. When we asked them what was on their mind, here's the words they used put in a "wordcloud" format. The bigger the word, the higher the frequency.

The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.

Does that look like what's on your mind?

Musical and Compositional Technique : The Fugue pt. 1

adam@ethos.io (Elite Music Online) — Wed, 12 Aug 2020 20:30:08 GMT

This lesson is from Music Theory Level 9. You can see all of the Music Theory courses here

Excerpt from Music Theory Level 9

Topic: The Fugue pt. 1

Fugues are contrapuntal constructions, much like canons, but somewhat more complex. Much like a canon, each voice in a fugue begins with a common motif, which in a fugue is called a subject. As the voices enter, they take turns playing the subject until every voice was able to play it exactly once. This section in which the voices take turns playing the subject is called the Exposition of the fugue.

Unlike a canon, in which all voices repeat the canonnic motif exactly, once the fugue subject is played, each voice is able to function completely independently to the others and play whatever the composer chooses, even if unrelated to the subject, so long as doublings are avoided, the number of voices stays consistent, and the texture remains highly polyphonic throughout.

The voices may also return to the subject after the exposition, or play a modification of it. Such modifications may include Transposition, Retroversion (playing the motif backwards), Inversion, (playing the motif with all intervals reversed, essentially upside-down), Fragmentation (playing only a section of the subject), diminution, augmentation, or a combination of the above.

If there exists a long section of the fugue in which the subject is not played, the section is labeled an episode. Sections past the exposition in which the subject occurs are called fugal developments. If a fugue is concluded during an episode, that episode is called the coda.

Some other common fugal devices include:

Stretto - A section of a fugue in which the subject enters in one voice partway through the subject taking place in another voice.
Double/Triple/etc. Fugues - Fugues which have two, three, or more subjects undergo exposition and fugal development at the same time.
Fugato - Oftentimes fugue-like subjects occur in pieces which do not fully follow the formal fugue conventions. For example, such sections may have an inconsistent number of voices or incomplete or incorrect expositions. These sections are labeled fugatos ("little fugues").
Counter Subject - A counter subject is another motif which often accompanies the subject when it occurs.

Fugues are generally labeled based on the number of voices they use (for example: "three voice fugue", "fugue in 6 voices").

Let us use Bach's B-flat minor fugue from the first book of the Well Tempered Clavier (audio for this lesson). Below is an annotated copy. As the title notes, this is a 5-voice fugue. We have highlighted every entrance of the subject in a different color based on the voice in which it occurs. The colors assigned are, from the top voice to the bottom voice:

1. Yellow

2. Red

3. Blue

4. Green

5. Purple

The body content of Measures 1-16 represent the exposition of the fugue. During that time, every voice plays the motif only once. Here the motif is played by voices in a descending order (1 through 5), but the order can be arbitrary. While some measures in this section do not contain the subject, they are not considered an episode since the exposition had not yet terminated.

The first episode occurs in measures 17-24, since the subject does not occur. Note how the ideas in the episode may be considered an evolution or modification of the subject. While the section is still considered an episode, it is interesting nonetheless in the development (non-fugal) of the subject.

Measures 25-33 represent the first fugal development of the subject. Here, the voices take turn playing the subject, again in a descending order.

Another episode occurs in measures 34-45, only interrupted by one occurrence of the subject in measures 37-38.

Measures 39-56 represent a longer fugal development. The voices use the subject in a variety of settings including a two-voice stretto in measures 50-52.

Another episode occurs in measures 57-66.

In measures 67-71, the subject is entangled in an incredible 5-voice stretto, a contrapuntally intense gesture of fugal development.

A coda ends the piece starting in bar 72.

www.elitemusic.online

See our entire Music Theory and Test Prep curriculum here :

Interested in learning more? Check out our Music Theory Test Prep and Lesson School.

Tips to Record Your Musical Performance

adam@ethos.io (Elite Music Online) — Wed, 29 Jul 2020 19:04:44 GMT

It can be surprisingly nerve-wracking even just recording your own performances. Here are some tips to have your student performing and recording at their best!

When you are getting ready to perform

Here are some tips to get the most out of your performance:

Don't rush into it. Take a deep breath and be ready to perform.
Don't try and be perfect - part of the value of this service is knowing areas for improvement.
Relax! You can always make another recording.

Smartphone Recording Tips

If you are using your smartphone, note that most smartphone microphones are located on the back of the phone, near the bottom of the handset.
Put your recording device 2-3 feet from your instrument.
Point the phone's microphone in the direction of the instrument
If someone is holding the smartphone, make sure their hand isn't covering the mic
Switch your phone to "airplane mode" so you don't get a call while you're recording
If you can, try and find a nice, quiet location.
Check for wind. Even a mild breeze blowing into a mic can overpower the sound.

To see Elite Music Online services to help you get feedback on your performance, please visit our course page.

10 Tips for an Awesome Online Music Lesson

adam@ethos.io (Elite Music Online) — Fri, 26 Jun 2020 20:47:10 GMT

These are some great tips from our good friend Chris Barnes , a truly gifted trumpet player and teacher. He sends these to his students to try and help them maintain a good connection for online Zoom lessons.

You will get a much better connection if you plug directly into the router vs using wifi. If you are on wifi get as physically close as you can to the router.
During the lessons if there are multiple people in the house streaming this will drastically slow down the connection.
Record yourself to hear what YOU sound like. You can sign up to ZOOM for free and you can record yourself through the app and can hear what I’m hearing :) You can experiment with friends, relatives and other musicians. I have been doing a lot of this with other teachers where we play for each other to try and get the best sound possible.
Using a desktop, laptop, ipad work MUCH better than an Iphone.
A super easy low tech solution for the play alongs and the metronome that several students have been using is to have a small inexpensive bluetooth speaker. You can get something from $20 and up.
Experiment with headphones. An easy inexpensive option is to use ear buds that have a microphone. The plug in ones that come with an Iphone if you have one for example are a great option.
For the play alongs I send through google docs having these directly on your phone downloaded to Itunes or other media player work MUCH better than playing directly from google docs. You could use these or other music you are working on during the lesson and on your own without an internet connection.
Don’t forget to check in and see how you’re doing. Just because you don’t achieve the big goals right away doesn’t mean you’re not making progress.
Make a list . Lists are great ways to stay on track. Write down some big things you want to accomplish and some smaller things, too. Check the list regularly .
Reward yourself. When you succeed in achieving a goal, be it a big one or a small one, make sure to pat yourself on the back.When you succeed in achieving a goal, be it a big one or a small one, make sure to pat yourself on the back.

Think positively. . Positive thinking is a major factor in success. So instead of mulling over things that didn’t go quite right, remind yourself of things that did.

Elite Music Online Blog

Interactive Music Scale Generator

Cool Free Interactive Music Scale Generator

Thanks to Reddit user d8ai for letting us reuse this file!

New 2021 Release Features and Pricing

We are pleased to announce new, streamlined features, services and pricing

in Elite Music Online's 2021 Release

How to use Teacher Discounts

How to use Teacher Discounts

Music Theory: Chord Progression and Function

This lesson is from Music Theory Level 6

Music Theory: Motifs

This lesson is from Music Theory Level 3

﻿

Music Theory: Intervals

This lesson is from Music Theory Level 3

Classical Period: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

This is an excerpt from Music Theory Level 5

﻿

New Elite Music Online Pricing

Announcing Elite Music Online All-Access Subscription

Piano Teacher Sentiment Survey

We asked 100 music teachers about their current sentiment and received some interesting results.

﻿

The summary: music teachers are learning zoom and other online technologies, and are hungry for music theory and performance evaluation tools.

﻿ ﻿ Additionally they about split in terms of seeing Covid-19 as an opportunity vs. a threat to their music studios.

﻿ ﻿ ﻿

Here are summary results.

﻿

What's On Your Mind?

We surveyed music teachers in California. When we asked them what was on their mind, here's the words they used put in a "wordcloud" format. The bigger the word, the higher the frequency.

Does that look like what's on your mind?

Musical and Compositional Technique : The Fugue pt. 1

Excerpt from Music Theory Level 9

﻿

Topic: The Fugue pt. 1

If there exists a long section of the fugue in which the subject is not played, the section is labeled an episode. Sections past the exposition in which the subject occurs are called fugal developments. If a fugue is concluded during an episode, that episode is called the coda.

Some other common fugal devices include:

Tips to Record Your Musical Performance

It can be surprisingly nerve-wracking even just recording your own performances. Here are some tips to have your student performing and recording at their best!

10 Tips for an Awesome Online Music Lesson

Additionally they about split in terms of seeing Covid-19 as an opportunity vs. a threat to their music studios.